Trifecta (26 page)

"I don't think they'll let Bruno out," Julia
whispered. 

As she turned her head to talk to him, she was startled
to see his face inches from hers.  She almost forgot what she was saying, and her
heart did a big erratic thump, then she continued, "It's too dangerous.  The
dog could kill some homeless person innocently camping out up here."

Robin nodded.  She had turned her face away from him. 
He was practically on top of her, trying to keep both of them as small as possible. 
He could appreciate that she felt good, even though they were in a serious situation. 
He had an arm around her shoulders and could feel her small round bottom under his
thigh.  His nose was touching the back of her head.  She had lost her cap somewhere
in their wild flight.  There was an odd medicinal odor.  It must be the dark hair
coloring she had used. 

"You make a gorgeous brunette, but I really prefer
the natural color," Robin whispered into her hair.

Julia didn't reply.  She wondered how she had gotten into
such a silly situation here with Robin.  He was practically on top of her and she
had promised herself that she would never even speak to him again.  She tried to
ignore his presence.  That was impossible, with him so close, so she closed her
eyes and tried to control her breathing, which was coming out in tiny, hitching
gasps.

As she lay there, Julia had to admit she was glad to see
him, even when she thought he had ruined her chances of getting a picture of Quijada's
arrest.  She decided she must be a masochist.  Her traitorous heart had leaped at
the sound of his voice saying her name. 

What she felt was profound and surprising relief.  Her
mind had said...finally.  Finally what, she didn't know.  But it was because she
hadn't been able to tell him...what? 

All she could remember was how much fun it had been to
be with Robin, and how he had helped her.  And wonderful, glorious sex.  Which was
a stupid thing to think about right now, when they were being hunted by dangerous
Mexican mafia guards with guns, but he was so close to her, and she had to admit
she liked it.  It was confusing, her body telling her this was good and right that
they were together, and her mind saying, Are you totally out of your mind? 

Maybe she just needed closure with their relationship and
a formal ending so she could go on with her life.  After all, she did have a baby
with half of him, or his genes anyway, inside of her.

The night had become dark.  The guards were coming closer. 
She could hear the undergrowth crackling under the man's weight who was nearest
them.  Then, after what seemed like aeons of time went by, the searcher on their
right shouted that no one was around.  The other guy, way off to the left, said
he was sure he had seen movement, but the flashlights showed clearly that the two
were giving up. 

Julia watched over her shoulder as the bobbing flashlights
went slowly down the hill, back toward the house.  The probing lights disappeared
inside the yard.  It was totally dark now and an owl hooted mournfully.  Robin moved
gently off of her so she could get up.

"Why'd they change the date?" Julia asked, as
she got up and started brushing off her clothing, which was covered with weeds and
thorns.  She started patting her hair, trying to find weeds to untangle.

"What date?"

"When they were going to arrest Quijada.  Did something
go wrong?" Julia asked.

Robin started helping her pull tangling weeds out of her
hair and she moved back minutely to dissuade him.  He immediately stopped at the
silent rebuke.  She almost felt bad.  He was so sensitive that even a tiny, minuscule
movement from her was like verbal communication.

Julia had forgotten how his presence always seemed to overwhelm
her, what a large man Robin was.  She could still feel the imprint of his body,
where it had touched her when they were lying on the ground, as though that part
of her was branded by warmth.  He gave off an amazing amount of heat.  Even from
a few feet away she could feel him.  It was like basking in the sun.  Then she grew
angry that she was even thinking that way.  But she had to admit it was nice of
him to come and tell her that he had made a mistake.  How he knew she would be here
was a mystery, though.

"They didn't change the date," Robin said.

"About what?"

"The date to arrest Quijada," Robin said.

Shit, he must think I'm senile, Julia thought.  She had
just asked that question.  "Why'd you tell me they were going to do it tonight?"

Julia stared at him as they started taking the long way,
way around Quijada's residence and his guards with guns. 

Robin smiled at her.  "It's a long story.  See, I
went to Boston.  Arrived this morning and went to your apartment building.  And
was almost arrested on the spot just because I asked the manager to see you.  Two
undercover policemen questioned me.  At length.  Anyway, I found out what happened
in your apartment.  So I knew you'd be here.  And this was the only way to get hold
of you."

Julia didn't know whether to get angry or to laugh.  How
he had made the leap from finding her missing and deciding she must be in California
was an enigma.  Unless he knew her better than she thought.

"So I lied," Robin finished.

Julia took a deep breath and decided to remain cool.  She
couldn't let him know how she felt about all this.  Hell, she didn't know herself. 

She took another deep breath to steady her voice.  "What
could be so important that you would have to stage this kind of meeting?"

"There are several reasons," Robin said, pulling
a branch of thorns out of the way, so she wouldn't be cut.  "First, and most
important, you're not safe in Los Angeles.  Not while Quijada remains free, anyway."

"I think I can take care of myself, but please do
go on.  I want to hear the other reasons, because that one isn't important enough
for you to mislead me in this manner." 

Her anger at being manipulated was helping her remain nonchalant
in Robin's presence.  Also, it was strenuous moving up the steep hill and keeping
an eye out for clawing, scratching vines.  The physical movement helped her remain
composed.  It irritated her that he seemed so calm.

"There I disagree," Robin said.  "Juan Carlos
has been telling the police how Quijada reacted when you got away.  He wants revenge. 
Quijada went into a monumental rage and blames his whole situation on you.  Like
he didn't bring it on himself, smuggling drugs.  Juan Carlos didn't specifically
say that Quijada put out a contract on you, but it's clear he intends to harm you. 
Even the dark hair won't keep you safe if Quijada finds out you're not in Boston. 
That man is like a bull dog.  You know too much.  He had your brother killed.  I'm
sorry Julia, but I'm afraid he wants you dead too."

She shivered in the darkness.  A contract out on her life? 
Maybe it had been foolhardy to climb the fence just to get her pictures.  "What's
the other reason?"

"First, your safety.  Second, I have something to
show you tonight.  There's a third reason, too."  Robin was fingering the ring
he held in his pocket, but he knew this was definitely not the right time.

Robin explained about Thomas McQuery, whom he had hired
to keep her safe.  Tom was an extremely tough cop who had spent over twenty years
on the streets of Los Angeles.  He had a long history of narcotics busts, so he
knew how dangerous the street gangs were that moved drugs for men like Quijada.

Then Robin asked Julia to go with him to the county jail. 
The men who had killed her brother had been caught and were ratting each other out. 
Mike Garcia had, with extreme reluctance and some heavy plea bargaining, led the
police to the two people  responsible for the almost lethal beating of her brother. 
Mike Garcia had just driven the car, but he was the weak link.  The man Julia had
practically stripped for, to prevent him from harming Robin at the cabin in Lake
Arrowhead, was the man who was now crucial in the reopened investigation into her
brother's death.

They finally reached the road and Julia stepped with relief
onto the dark blacktop, glad to be able to walk without the clawing, scratching
weeds and vines and silty loose dirt sifting into her shoes with each step.  Julia
pointed that her car was only about a block away and they started in that direction. 
There was a cool breeze and she shivered as they walked along, but then she realized
that the reaction was not because of the breeze.  It was what the breeze sent. 
A strong and obnoxious odor of juicy-fruit, cloves and cinnamon.

Robin was still telling her about how Juan Carlos was trying
to wriggle out of any type of responsibility in her brother's death.  Julia grabbed
his sleeve, jerked him to a stop and saw him look at her with a puzzled expression. 
It was already too late. 

Three men, who had been crouched in the shadows behind
her car, suddenly stood up and started moving toward them.

Even though the middle man was holding Bruno on a leash,
she would have recognized the blazing jet-black eyes and bull-like physique of Quijada. 
The two men on either side of him were the guards they had tied to evade.  Each
was holding a gun. 

Julia was scared out of her mind, but she knew that all
Quijada would have to do was let go of the leash.  Bruno would attack Robin.  She
didn't take time to think.  Robin had put an arm around her shoulders, as though
to protect her, and she shrugged his arm away and walked boldly up to Quijada. 

Julia immediately started petting the dog that was straining
at the leash. 

"Hello Aaron.  It's nice to see you again," she
lied.  She was horrified to be this close to the man, now that she knew how corrupt
and perverse he was.  The drug deals and child pornography.  The people he had killed.
 He seemed like the devil incarnate with his evil black eyes glittering right into
hers.  It seemed those eyes were composed totally of pupil they were so black.

"Come here, Robin," Julia said, looking around
for him, but he was right beside her.  She wanted to defuse the situation with the
dog first, so she kept petting Bruno, talking softly to him.  She put one hand on
Robin too, trying to get the dog to accept him by linking her and Robin together
through touch.

"If I tell the dog to attack, he will," Quijada
said, ominously, as though he had read her thoughts.  His deep voice sent shivers
down her spine.  "I want to know exactly what you were doing on my property."

Julia was trying to formulate some kind of lie.  She felt
Robin pulling her arm behind her and doing something to her hand on her left side. 
Something scratched her finger.  It felt like a ring.  And Robin started talking,
very quickly.

"We didn't mean to trespass.  You've lived in this
area a long time, Aaron.  And we're trying to get a feel for it.  You know that
property down the road that's for sale?  Well, Julia and I just got engaged, and
we're seriously thinking of buying."

Julia gazed at her finger in shock.  The diamond was so
large it had to be fake.  She wondered how Robin could have thought far enough ahead
to come up with a plausible lie that would disarm Quijada in case they were caught. 
And to bring a beautifully crafted ring that looked so real.

"Congratulations," Quijada said in a mechanical
voice.

"So if our tramping around in the undergrowth up on
the hill bothered you, we have to apologize," Robin went on.  "But we're
anxious to find a place.  And of course, my parents are thrilled about the engagement
and have been encouraging us to search around in Bel-Air."

Julia looked at Robin with admiration.  Mentioning his
famous father couldn't hurt.  In fact, the way Robin was linking her to his family
was a genius move.

Robin, she noted with irritated amusement, was taking advantage
of the situation.  He had put an arm around her, pulled her close to him, and kissed
the top of her head.  She could feel it.  He was rubbing the side of her arm affectionately
with the hand he had around her shoulders.

Julia held out her left hand and smiled at Quijada, "Beautiful,
isn't it?"

"Very lovely," Quijada said.  "And I'm glad. 
It fits my own plans perfectly."

"How's that?" Robin said. 

"There could be a tragic lover's quarrel," Quijada
said.  He smiled evilly.  "I love to make up plots.  This one would make a
very sad movie.  A murder/suicide over the terrible, heartrending breakup.  It all
fits very nicely."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Julia
said, but she did.  Quijada was murderously angry at Robin, but couldn't go after
him because his family was so well known.  Quijada wanted them both dead.

"Lets go," Quijada said.  "As they say in
the really deplorable B movies, we have some unfinished business to attend to. 
I'm kind of glad it turned out this way.  I'll get to watch the action.  And direct."

Robin's arm was still protectively around Julia, and he
wasn't giving up.  "We'd love to come visit this evening, Aaron, but we're
expected to meet friends in a short while.  We will be sure to include you in our
wedding plans, of course."

"Stuff it," Quijada said shortly.  He turned
and said something in Spanish to one of the guards.  All three men, including the
dog, started forward toward Julia and Robin, to herd them back toward his house. 
They didn't have any choice.  Two guns and a killer dog.

"If we make a run for it, there's a good possibility
they won't shoot us in the back," Robin whispered to Julia.

"Stop whispering and move along," one of the
guards said in a mean, guttural voice.

Julia shook her head and whispered, "He'll let the
Bruno go.  He'd probably love to watch the dog maul you."

It seemed there was an echo from behind them, right after
she spoke.  "Don't let the dog go."

Everyone turned around.  A man was standing behind Quijada
and his two guards.  He had a gun pointed at Bruno.  Julia knew immediately it was
the policeman that Robin had hired to protect her.  He was short and stocky and
appeared to be about fifty years old, with sparse iron-grey hair.  His legs were
spread wide, in a shooter's stance.  He looked like an immovable tree stump, or
a fire hydrant.  The relief Julia felt was so immense her knees almost buckled.